Corban eyed each of them in turn. Rupert wasn't going with them, as Corban had arranged. He was handling support and monitoring communications from Berlin. But the rest of them would be staring death in the face in a few hours.
"Bruno, lead us in prayer, then we'll get geared up."
"Sorry, Corban." Rupert Mach held up his phone and started for the door. "There are a few things I need to take care of before tonight. I apologize, everyone. This can't wait."
The others moved aside to allow Rupert to pass. Corban stared after the leader of the Berlin office for a few seconds, then snapped back to the moment.
"Okay, Bruno, pray for us to remain focused on God's will through this. There's no sense in hating these people who have attacked us. They're simply lost souls. Pray that something we do tonight, in some way, might turn someone's heart around for the Lord."
#######
"Hi, sweetie. How was your trip?"
"Good," Janice answered her husband on the phone. "Got a lot done. I half-expected to find you back home by now, though. Chloe's not telling me anything, so I know what it means when you call like this, Corban."
"I know you know, and I know you worry, but I had to call, anyway."
"I'm glad you did." She sniffed. "Is it late there?"
"About seven. Jenna is okay?"
"Yeah, but she misses you. Chloe spoiled her while I was gone. I wasn't sure she'd want to come home with me!"
"Tell her I miss her, too." It was no mystery why he was calling. When he was able, he often called her right before he would face possible death. And Corban knew that Janice understood there were times he couldn't call her, for safety reasons. But he was thankful for the times he could speak to her remotely, even if it was only to say goodbye. "I love you, Janice."
"I love you, too, Corban. You, um, won't be long now?"
"Not long. Tell Jenna that I love her."
"I will. Please...be careful."
"Yeah, I will. Goodbye, Janice."
"Bye-bye, Corban."
Corban clicked off his phone. Alone in his hotel room, he took a deep breath. In a perfect world, he would be home right now. That's what he wanted—peace, security, and a week of solitude with his two favorite girls. But while there was nothing wrong with rest and relaxation, he knew that God had given him the responsibility of shepherding others. It was his burden, his blessed burden.
He stood and zipped up his fatigues—shades of gray with white patches to blend in with the snow and forest terrain around the castle—then checked his pockets, gear, and weapons. Lastly, he took off his wedding ring and set it on the Bible on the dresser. He hoped to be back soon to pick them both up. Kneeling beside the bed, he whispered a prayer to his God.
**~~~**
Chapter Twenty-Two
June had never seen Xacsin Castle other than in pictures, but she knew the fortress and the surrounding terrain as if she had grown up in the area. Between Snake's intel, and intel from satellites that Corban supplied them with, there wasn't much of the castle the team couldn't sketch by hand. And because they were so prepared, the darkness of the night would not impede their attack.
Kneeling in the snow beneath a birch tree, June trembled, not from the cold, but from excitement and anticipation. She certainly preferred this setting to the openness of the desert. Here, June and the team could move through the two feet of snow in relative silence within the security of the forest. With the castle's hourly patrols in mind, she and Corban approached the castle from the north.
It took a few seconds to locate Corban to the east in her night scope, but he was there, waiting for radio confirmation that the others were in place, before the two of them proceeded. She and Corban were to attack the station house first. Then, they would move up the road, Corban on one side and June on the other, to the front of the castle, as the others initiated their own offensive from their respective positions.
Tilting her head, June could barely hear the slight hum of a plane's engine, somewhere around eighteen thousand feet, she guessed. The castle guards wouldn't suspect a thing. To them, it was probably just a passing plane, but it was actually quite another thing. Using the plane Memphis and Johnny had procured in the last two weeks, a pilot had been arranged by Brauch to fly Bruno over the castle. In fact, June figured Bruno probably wasn't even in the plane anymore. Wearing armor-plated fatigues, the big black man was to parachute directly into the castle courtyard.
Meanwhile, Scooter was eight hundred yards to the northwest and Brauch was the same distance to the southwest. The two had secured platforms and scaffolding sixty feet off the ground amongst the tops of the pines. Both platforms were anchored at four points and were large enough for both snipers to lie on their bellies and aim at the castle. They were high enough to see the four towers, most of the walls, and some of the courtyard.
"Memphis in place. Over."
"Johnny in place. Over."
The two pilots were to be on the north and south ramparts. They had telescoping ladders to scale the fifteen-foot heights as soon as the walls were clear of men. Corban and June wouldn't be able to enter the castle until the front gate was opened by one on their team.
"This is Bruno. ETA, sixty seconds. Over."
That was the cue for Corban and June, and they started forward again. There was no need for overnight packs, only ammo pouches, so they were not burdened by other gear. They moved swiftly, like phantoms, through the trees, their NL-3s shouldered and leveled.
Spotting the station house, June circled right to approach from the front as Corban arced left to attack the two guards from the rear. Pausing, she scanned the post thirty yards away.
"Wait one," she said to halt Corban. "I see only one. Over."
"Move in. I've got the second. Over."
June didn't hesitate, confidently stepping over the snow bank into the road. She knew to trust the man now; she'd seen him in action, defying all odds. The guard still hadn't seen her, even though he faced her direction, his gloved hands working a lighter at a cigarette in his lips. Once close enough so she wouldn't miss, June aimed three inches under the glowing butt and fired a burst of five pellets. The man staggered backwards, clutching his throat, then fell over. Running up to him, she covered the station house as she advanced.
Corban appeared from behind the gate. He gave her the thumbs-up signal. She returned the sign, then picked up her target's rifle and hurled it into the snow off the road. Slipping one glove off, she flex-cuffed her downed target's hands and feet, then moved around the gate to join Corban. Motioning for her to take the right side of the road, he took the left. Together, they jogged along the road toward the castle.
"Bruno here. I'm—ugh!—in the lions' den. Over."
Looking up, June saw the shimmer of a giant black parachute canvas disappear behind the southwest thirty-foot tower. Almost simultaneously, one of the two sentries in that tower fell where he stood, she assumed taken out by Brauch from over a half-mile away.
As machine gunfire split the quiet night, June dove behind a tree then jumped back to her feet when she realized she hadn't been spotted yet. The gunfire was directed at Bruno inside the castle. Glancing at Corban, he was pointing something out to her. Looking up, she saw a satellite to the right of the great castle gate, probably to service the castle office. Then she noticed a weathervane on a pole to the left of the gate. Nodding, she didn't wait for Corban's signal to fire. When she was within range, she fired at the satellite, causing noisy pinging sounds. They hoped to take the guards' attention from Bruno. Corban did the same at the weathervane, drawing fire almost instantly. The plan was for Bruno to catch the sentries on the wall with their backs to him. It seemed to be working. A man on the wall went down, then another in the northwest tower. The team voiced their progress on their comms as they advanced.
The castle's gunners quickly overcame their surprise and focused on their visible targets—Corban and June, Memphis and Johnny, and Bruno on the inside. Scooter and Brauch were too far aw
ay to be noticed or even suspected. They would be able to patiently scope for stationary targets. Since they were without pressure, it seemed they were taking out a target with every round. Different from the team's experience in the desert, here, men ran to and fro on the walls, hid behind the battlements, ducked, and popped up unexpectedly to shoot. Thus, Scooter announced on his comm that he would shoot over the north wall at crouching enemies on the south wall, and Brauch could do the same, hoping to take their foes out with a tranquilizer in the back.
The towers were danger zones, though, as Xacsin's men fled to the security of the elevated structures when they realized their enemies had the upper hand. Corban and June withdrew into the forest as gunfire from the towers made their stand impossible in front of the castle.
The gunfire waned as the snipers continued their seemingly invisible assault. Memphis and Johnny joined June and Corban in their retreat into the trees.
"Four down by Scooter. Over," he reported.
"Brauch got five confirmed. Over."
"Johnny taking the north wall…now. Over."
Still in the woods, June moved southeast around the castle toward Memphis' southern position. He battled with two guards on the wall who remained hidden in a blind spot from their two snipers. Stepping from the trees on Memphis' left, June peppered the top edge of the wall with pellets. When one raised his head to see who else had joined the assault, Memphis shot him. The second guard turned and ran to the southeast, forty-foot tower.
Memphis ran forward with his collapsible ladder. June covered him as he leaned the ladder against the wall.
"We're coming, Milk!" she hollered in her excitement. The men had given her a photo of the white-complexioned field agent in case she came upon him. Like in Africa, her heart was thrilled at the idea of selflessly helping those whom she didn't even know.
Dashing up behind Memphis, she climbed the ladder first as he steadied it. The plan had been for her and Corban to enter through the front doors, but Memphis and Johnny hadn't been able to scale the walls fast enough, and Bruno would be in desperate need of help by now. There was constant gunfire from inside the courtyard.
June's head crested the south wall. Already on the north wall, Johnny ran to the west side where the northwest tower seemed to be secured. Both eastern towers were spitting fire from the better-concealed tower windows. Memphis climbed up behind June and they climbed onto the walkway. A ricochet bullet whined off the rock at her foot. She poured pellets into the southeast tower window until Memphis came up beside her.
"Get back! Get back!" he yelled over the deadly rounds.
She understood and ran toward the southwest tower over the castle gate. There was no other cover on the walls. After reaching the tower door and stairs, she covered Memphis as he retreated to her. He ducked inside the tower's safety to reload.
"You see Bruno?" he asked.
As June poked her head out then pulled back, the courtyard image registered the split-second visual.
"He's pinned down below us behind the four-wheelers outside the barracks door."
The hum of gears made them jump, then they realized that Johnny was opening the double doors from the other tower for Corban to enter the castle.
"This is Memphis. June's with me in the southwest tower. We cannot take either eastern tower. Too much firepower and no cover. Over."
"Scooter here. I have no shot. The enemy is hidden inside the towers now. Over."
"Brauch is blind, as well. They're not exposing themselves, though I can see both towers. Over."
"Roger that," Corban voiced. "I'm immediately outside the front gates. Cover me as I make a run for the equipment room. Bruno, you there? Over."
There was no answer for a few seconds.
"Yeah, I'm against the barracks wall. Took one in the left shoulder, but I'm able and willing to help. I'll cover you against the northeast tower. Over."
"Good. Johnny, close the doors once I'm inside. I don't want anyone sneaking out. Here I go. Three…two…"
Memphis and June fired on the southeast tower window that faced the courtyard as Bruno and Johnny fired on the northeast.
#######
Below Memphis and June, Corban sprinted through the doors and along the inside of the north wall to the door that led to the equipment room—a layout he knew as well as anyone, thanks to Snake's intel. He collided with the door at full speed, his shoulder taking the impact. Gripping the knob, he whipped the door open but stood aside as a muzzle flashed from within the darkened room.
Behind him, a bullet, fired from a tower, slammed into the wall, and speckled him with flying rock fragments.
"Cover me, Memphis!" he shouted.
From his belt, Corban tugged a flash and bang stun grenade. After pulling the pin, he tossed it into the room, hoping he didn't ignite any ammunition stores or other explosives. He closed his eyes and covered his exposed ear. Boom! From the back of his belt, he took a small gas mask and slipped it over his face.
Charging headlong into the room, Corban fired from the shoulder as he went, raking the walls and stores and shelves with pellets. Turning to his right, he put his back against the wall and stood in silence. Using the night scope to scan the darkness, he spotted a guard huddled behind a half-dozen bags of flour. The guard blinked rapidly, still disoriented from the grenade, but he held an SKS assault rifle in his hands. That was enough for Corban to fire a burst into the man's chin. Then, he listened and scanned the rest of the room for a second foe. Finding none, he flex-cuffed the downed man.
"Equipment room secure. I'm entering the doctor's quarters."
"This is Scooter. Brauch, you can cover both towers better than me. I'm on my way to the castle on foot. Over."
Easing the door open a crack, Corban peered into a lit room. There was a cluttered desk with a lamp, a twin-sized bed in the corner… He entered with a quick sweep from right to left, but the room was empty. Crossing the room cautiously to the other door, Corban turned the handle slowly. Anticipating gunfire, he threw the door open and stepped clear of the entrance to the exam and operating room, but no gunfire came from within. Taking a quick look inside, he stepped through the doorway, then aimed his NL-3 at a black-eyed old man wearing thick glasses.
"Dr. Aleksandre Stashinsky. Nathan Isaacson sends his regards."
"Don't come any closer!" the man warned in German. He wore a white biohazard suit with the helmet off so he could hold a pistol against his temple. "Stay away! Just…let me leave!"
"That's not happening, friend," Corban said softly. "Put the gun down. Come on, Doctor. It's all over."
Corban tensed to shoot Stashinsky with a tranquilizer, when the biochemist pulled the trigger. Blood spattered the room. The body crumpled in a mass of red and white. Sorrowfully, Corban shook his head as he lowered his gun.
"May God have mercy on your soul." He touched his earpiece. "Exam room clear. Stashinsky is down. I'm assaulting the northeast tower now. Over."
As he passed back through the doctor's quarters to the equipment room, Corban heard the gunfire outside. He found a ring of keys on the guard he had taken out, then crossed the dark room to a steel door set into the back wall. The second key he tried opened the lock. Pocketing the keys, he tugged the door open. A draft of cold air hit his face. Gunfire echoed down a spiral staircase made of rock that led to the tower's platform above. Moving forward under a single light bulb, he paused only to unscrew the bulb in case someone happened down the stairs.
Above, the gunfire ceased. That meant that Scooter had found cover in the tower with Johnny. It seemed like a standoff, the two short towers against the two taller towers. But the enemy had failed to realize that Corban had breached their defenses. He aimed up the steep stairs as he ascended slowly. When he was halfway up, he whispered into his comm.
"Johnny, distract the northeast tower for twenty seconds. Over."
"Roger. Go in two…one…go!"
The gunfight broke out again above him, so Corban bounded up the remainin
g stairs two at a time. He reached the overhead wooden hatch and drew a foot-long crowbar from the back of his belt. Fitting it into the flange that encased one of the two trapdoor hinges, Corban heaved on the crowbar, causing the wooden flange to splinter. Dropping the crowbar, he used his head to open the hatch enough to slip a stun grenade through the crack. Allowing the hatch to close, Corban descended four steps. Above, men cursed and yelled as their gunfire ceased.
Boom!
Corban lunged up the stairs, then thrust one hand through the broken hatch to force it open against its last hinge. Instead of two men, he found three, their senses disabled as they fired blindly out the tower's two windows. Since they could neither see nor hear, Corban immediately fired into their chests and necks.
"Northeast tower clear. What's the status of the last tower? Over."
"They're holding tight," Memphis reported. "Four making a stand. I think they're low on ammo, though. Over."
Securing his three disabled foes with flex-cuffs , Corban tallied the targets. Nine taken at the beginning by the snipers. Two at the gatehouse. Two in each west tower and two more on the south wall. And one in the equipment room. That was only eighteen.
"If there are four in the tower, we're still missing a couple," Corban notified. "I'm expecting closer to twenty-five. I had three in this tower. Over."
"Probably in the barracks," Bruno guessed. "A few stragglers I've been trading shots with. Over."
"Bruno, can you meet me at the mess hall door? I'm out of flash-bangs to take the tower. Over."
"Boss, the prisoners must hear us coming," Scooter advised. "They're making an awful lot of noise."
DARK HEARTED (The COIL Series) Page 22
